Old Fashioned Eggplant Casserole Recipe

August 22, 2021April 17, 2023

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How do you make eggplant taste good? Follow this Southern Eggplant Casserole Recipe. Adding cheese, cracker crumbs and butter to eggplant makes this Old Fashioned Eggplant Casserole the perfect side dish to any dinner.

I’m in the swing of summer cooking. For me that means, I’m making all sorts of summer casseroles using fresh garden vegetables, including zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash, tomatoes, onions, kale, peppers, corn and eggplant.

While eggplant isn’t one of my normal vegetables I use, I was excited that they were included in our weekly vegetable haul as part of the Purdue University Student Farm’s “subscription box” or CSA. Each week from July to November we pick up a bag full of produce grown by college students as part of a student farm at Purdue. If you have a local farm or farmer’s market that offers a weekly vegetable box, we highly recommend it!

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I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to do with the eggplant, and I was really questioning how to make eggplant taste good. Low and behold, Mom just happened to save me a recipe she found from her good teacher friend Jackie for eggplant casserole.

This recipe actually originates from Jackie’s Granny, and it is a winner.

The reason this eggplant casserole is so darn amazing is because it has cheese, butter, and cracker crumbs. Everything is better with cheese, butter and cracker crumbs; I mean how could it not be?

Eggplant Casserole with Cheese

The texture of this eggplant casserole with cheese reminds me almost of a stuffing. Crushed crackers are mixed with melted butter, eggs and milk which are all ingredients of a tasty stuffing.

The icing on the cake is the addition of shredded cheddar cheese. Use whichever cheddar cheese variety you prefer. I had a special blend from Aldi that had Wisconsin, New York and Vermont Cheddar Cheeses mixed together.

When it comes down to it, all you need to know is that this cheesy eggplant casserole recipe makes for the perfect side dish to any summer grilled meat.

What to serve with Eggplant Casserole?

Grilled, Marinated Steak
Salmon Patties
Broiled Ham Steak
Marinated Pork Steak
Chicken Fried Steak

Southern Eggplant Casserole Ingredients

Eggplant, peeled and diced

Butter, melted

Crackers, crushed

Milk

Eggs, beaten

Shredded Cheese

Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

How to Make Eggplant Casserole from Scratch

Step By Step Instructions

Peel and diced one large (or two small) eggplant.
Boil until fork tender; drain well.
In a large bowl, stir together drained eggplant, melted butter, beaten eggs, milk, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed cracker crumbs, and salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into greased baking dish.
Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days.

For the full ingredient amounts and steps for southern eggplant casserole, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

Use one large or two small eggplant for this southern eggplant casserole recipe. Once peeled, and diced, you’ll need approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups eggplant.
There’s several different varieties of eggplant; just use whichever you have on hand.
I used a 2 quart baking dish, but an 8 x 8 inch will also do the trick.
Use your favorite cheese including provolone, mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese
To cook eggplant, boil the peeled and diced eggplant until it is fork tender, approximately 10 minutes.
Be sure to drain the eggplant well after boiling so you don’t have a runny eggplant casserole.
For the crushed crackers, use a butter cracker like Ritz or Townhouse, Saltines or Club crackers. Put them in a resealable bag, and pound them with something heavy to crush or give them a quick pulse in a food processor.
Want an easier way to fix eggplant? Try our Fried Eggplant without Egg or Flour.
Check out our Amazon Store for our favorite kitchen items and pantry essentials.

How do you peel an eggplant?

Cut off the top and bottom to make flat, and then use a sharp knife to peel thin slices of the skin away, trying not to take the flesh with it.

Summer Casserole Recipes

Kentucky Summer Squash Casserole

Sour Cream Zucchini Casserole

Cheesy Cabbage Casserole

Layered Garden Casserole

Texas Squash Casserole

Old Fashioned Eggplant Casserole – A Southern Eggplant Casserole Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Casserole, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggplant casserole, old fashioned eggplant casserole, southern eggplant casserole

Servings: 12 people

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (or two small) 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced eggplant
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups crushed crackers
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish (or 8×8 inch) with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook peeled, diced eggplant in boiling water until fork tender; drain well.
In a large bowl, combine cooked eggplant, beaten eggs, crushed crackers, milk, shredded cheese, melted butter and salt and pepper.
Pour into prepared baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Use one large or two small eggplant for this southern eggplant casserole recipe. Once peeled, and diced, you’ll need approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups eggplant.
There’s several different varieties of eggplant; just use whichever you have on hand.
I used a 2 quart baking dish, but an 8 x 8 inch will also do the trick.
How do you peel an eggplant? Cut off the top and bottom to make flat, and then use a sharp knife to peel thin slices of the skin away, trying not to take the flesh with it.
To cook eggplant, boil the peeled and diced eggplant until it is fork tender, approximately 10 minutes.
Be sure to drain the eggplant well after boiling so you don’t have a runny eggplant casserole.
For the crushed crackers, use a butter cracker like Ritz or Townhouse, Saltines or Club crackers. Put them in a zip-lock bag, and pound them with something heavy to crush or give them a quick pulse in a food processor.
Love summer casseroles? Try our Bacon Cheeseburger Squash Casserole.